


Meow Meow Fall in Love

by Kroissant



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Byleth as narrator, Byleth as the supportive parent, F/M, Felannie/Netteflix as cats, Felix and Annette are the only cats in this tale, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, based off the cute pictures found on twitter, domestic fluff is what I'm here for, gift fanfic for my mini-bang artist partner - MonyArts, supposed to be a lowkey reference to the fruits basket one we collaborated together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26271643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kroissant/pseuds/Kroissant
Summary: It's a sunny afternoon and Byleth is out on his usual stroll. Suddenly, he comes across an adorable orange and white Scottish Fold. Oh, but what's this? A small blue cloth? Who does it belong to?"Mewhhh!""Let's start searching."Join (M) Byleth and Cat! Annette on their little quest to find the owner of the long lost item.**Featuring Felannie/Netteflix as cats!Gift fanfic to @MonyArts!
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Meow Meow Fall in Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MonyArtz (Twitter)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=MonyArtz+%28Twitter%29).



> So behind the scenes, I was whipping something for a wonderful artist partner of mine (who collaborated with me during the mini-bang).
> 
> Well, the secret is OUT and here it is!
> 
> Presenting -- the gift fanfic dedicated to MonyArtz! featuring Felannie cats! From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much again and again for being super patient with me, Mony! You've been such a saint for me and it's thanks to you and your amazing pictures that I've been able to keep moving forward with the project despite the minor delays as I try to balance it together with my real-life issues!
> 
> Alright, time to dive head in!
> 
> Enjoy!

It was late into the afternoon and Byleth took it upon himself to indulge in a relaxing stroll around the campus grounds. His go-to route was pretty much the same as it was five years ago with his dorm as the designated starting line.

But today was different.

Instead of going left, he opted for the right. Without much of a plan, the young professor allowed his legs to take him to wherever he needed to be, oftentimes finding himself pausing mid-step to greet and chat with a few familiar faces loitering in the same area.

Guards patrolling, servants chasing deadlines, children doing their part in feeding the campus critters.

The sun shining, the skies clear, blue and devoid of cumulus clouds, and the rich scent of meat and seasonings threading from the open windows and doors of the Dining hall…yes, everything was going splendid for the most part.

Walking past the empty halls, Byleth swerves to another right, changing his course again for the second time. He stumbles into a large, open clearing with colossal hedgings encompassing the whole perimeter. Under the stone pavilion were rows of chairs and tables, completely vacant of life.

He meant to pass idly, quickly and quietly as to not disturb who may be dwelling nearby, when a sweet-sounding cry tickled his ears.

Of course, distraction was always a welcoming sight...to some extent.

But this one may perhaps be the most charming of them all.

_“Mewh!”_

Byleth turns to the direction of the sound, eyes zooming in what seems to be a delightfully energetic orange and white Scottish Fold. Upon sighting the tiny, orange coat and sparkling blue ribbon attached to its collar, a smile creeps into his lips.

He raises a hand to wave, his lips lengthening as the cat hurries its pace, dragging a blue cloth with its mouth.

_“Mewh!”_

Byleth went down to his knees, extending his hands outward for her to take. The cat lunges forward, reciprocating his gesture by prodding the space in-between his fingers.

“Good to see you too, Annette,” He greets back, and with his other hand, ruffles the light tufts of her head.

Annette nuzzles to his warm touch, eliciting another soft mewl. From the corner of his eye, Byleth spots something bright and blue hiding underneath her short, stubby paws.

“Hmm? What do we have here?” He gently swipes the blue cloth out from her hold. “May I?”

Annette enthusiastically nods.

“Thank you,” And then picks up the item.

Narrowing his eyes, Byleth takes a moment to inspect it. After a long pause, he spares a glance at the cat, noting the tipping of her head and pouty-looking features. “Where’d you get this?”

Annette whirls her head, pointing her wet nose straight at one of the empty tables.

Byleth deepens his frown, eyes drifting from the pavilion to the slightly ragged cloth. He inspects it, impressed with how soft and silky the woven fabric was, the ‘fluffy’ fur fastened around the rims of the neckband.

Still, there was something strangely familiar about this lost item. He’d seen this somewhere before...but where and from whom?

Something lightly nudges him on the knee, and he knew that Annette was getting rather impatient with him. Reconnecting his eyes with hers, he graciously thanks her for picking it up. “I’ll take care of the rest from here.”

After patting her head, Byleth rises to his feet, pocketing the blue cloth inside the front pocket of his pants.

“Mewhhhh!”

“Hmm?” He shoots a glance back at the small Scottish fold, surprised to find her waddling over to him. “What’s wrong?”

Annette gives him a knowing look, cheeks, and chest puffed up and eyes pleading for him to take her along.

"Alright then." He squats to his knees and reaches out for her. He picks her up and then ever so slowly but carefully, hoists her up high, and settles her on top of her right, metal-plated shoulder.

Byleth motions his head, cracking a smile as her long whistles met the peak of his long nose. Without restraint, he lightly tickles under her chin to which she happily leans in. Her elicit purring rumbles his shoulder and he smiles, a tingling sensation filling up his belly.

“Ready to go?”

Annette mewls, snuggling closer to the side of his cheek. “Mewhhhhh!”

Byleth grins. “Let’s get searching then.”

* * *

The inside of the Dining Hall was lively and packed with scholars, merchants, children, and even a fresh wave of recruits; all assembling into one, congregated place. People came and went as they pleased, either enticed by the strong scent of today's promising dishes or have already done so, satisfying their bellies and departing.

Byleth jogged a little faster through the high traffic area, careful to dodge and ignore the passing wanderers.

“M-mewh…”

Her soft-spoken whimper causes him to stop, alarming him. He moves his head a little, eyes slightly widening. Oh, the poor thing was quivering! "Apologies, Annette," Byleth murmurs and strokes a finger across her forehead. "I'll walk slower."

Annette mewls again, licking his right cheek. With a small smile, Byleth advances further into the halls, all the while, keeping a steady hand over her in fear that she might topple her.

Greeting the kitchen staff, Byleth proceeds to step foot inside the kitchen.

“Ah! Professor!”

Byleth blinks and turns, spotting a silver-haired young man in an apron, flailing his wooden spoon in the air.

“What a delight to see you here!”

Byleth nods in polite greeting. A white and orange puffball peeks out from his sleeve, eliciting a loud meow.

Ashe chuckles. He turns behind, picking up a few strands of chipped carrots from the wooden chopping board and walks over. "Hello to you as well, Annette," He raises his hand, urging her to nibble his offering.

Annette mewls, leaping from Byleth’s shoulder to his elbow. Byleth holds her still, watching her with soft eyes as she munches away until there was no more, left to lick off the remains.

Ashe laughs, her small tongue tickling the surface of his palm. With his other hand, he scratches the top of her small head, “Still hungry?”

Her enthusiastic nod made Ashe grin.

“I’ve prepared some fish and bean soup for the non-spicy folks.” He starts, glancing up at the young professor. He retreats to his station, snatching a small bowl from the dish rack. Retrieving a wooden ladle, he dips it into the small, bottling pot hidden behind the bigger one. He peers over his shoulder, in time to see Byleth gently place the cat on the counter.

“Go to Ashe. He’s got a treat for you.”

"Mewh!" Annette adheres to his instructions, steering clear of the piles of dishes near the kitchen sink to reach the young chef. She was waddling so adorably with her short, stubby legs, evoking the latter to widen his smile, his dimples noticeably a shy of pink.

Once she bridges the gap between them, Ashe presents her a bowl. “Here you go,”

Annette mewls again, patting his slender fingers with her toe beans before immersing herself with the thick, sweet stew. Three nibbles after and were already gobbling it up within minutes.

“Woah, slow down!” Ashe suddenly cries, though chuckles mid-sentence to brush her furred back. “There's plenty more where that came from.”

Annette doesn’t say a word, her face buried deep into the stew.

Shaking his head, Ashe lifts his chin to catch Byleth spying on them.

“Are you hungry too, Professor?”

Tearing his eyes away from the hungry cat, Byleth veers his eyes on his former student and nods.

Ashe gives him a thumbs up, patting Annette’s tiny head one last time before going to work.

Byleth walks over to the counter to join Annette who seems to have already consumed the last of her stew, licking her paws and then twiddling with her floppy, round ears.

“Here you go,”

The sweet, thinning voice of Ashe spews the young professor from his reverie state, prompting him to look up. A small bowl appears in his field of view. “Oh, thank you.”

Accepting the offer, Byleth takes a stool from under the counter and teeters it close to the counter. One taste was enough to please Byleth’s taste buds, his stomach stirring in a pool of warmth.

“Delicious as always,” He comments and Ashe lets out an airy laugh.

“Why, thank you!” Grabbing Annette’s empty bowl, he heads to the kitchen sink. “Feel free to grab seconds.”

Byleth nods, blowing his spoon and then opening his mouth to take another helping. From the corner of his eye, he spots a small, fluffy Scottish fold flashing him the stink eye.

Byleth stops, clearing his throat. “Ashe,”

“Yes?”

“Annette found this near the pavilion,” Byleth pulls out the blue cloth from his pockets, handing it to the archer. “Does this lost item ring a bell to you?”

Ashe frowns, coiling away from the sink and wiping his wet hands on his apron. “Let me take a look.”

He approaches them, taking the cloth and examining it. "Huh. It does look familiar." His brows creased, pressing his lips closely together. "The blue color especially." He glances back at his professor. "Have you considered bringing it to the lost and found?"

“Well...” Byleth trails off, then jerks his chin toward Annette licking her paws, oblivious to their stares.

At the notion, Ashe chuckles. “Ahh, I see.” A short pause. “Have you asked anybody around? Maybe it might give us a clue to its owner?”

Byleth shook his head in defeat.

The clanking of armor mixed with hurried footsteps catches their attention.

“Ashe? Are there any more seconds?”

The two men (and cat) whipped their heads, sighting the tall, blonde knight.

“Ah! Ingrid!” Ashe perked up, naturally putting on a sunshine smile. “Sure thing! Just give me a few minutes!”

Ingrid mirrors his grin, handing him the empty bowl. “Thank you so much for this.”

Ashe waves her off. “Don’t mention it!” And off he went.

“Oh, Professor. Didn’t see you there.”

Byleth nods to her as she strides forward, already going out of her way to dote over their small cat. He lets them have their moment, smiling like a proud parent as Annette leans closer, relishing her friend’s warm touch.

“Ingrid.”

Said knight stops what she’s doing and turns around, her brow raised.

Once more, Byleth holds up the blue cloth. “Have you seen this before?”

Fixing her gaze at the lost item, her eyes went wide. “Hey, doesn’t that belong to Felix?”

Byleth blinks. “Felix?” He echoes to which Ingrid nods furiously.

“He must’ve lost it somewhere,” Ingrid continues, scooping Annette up into her arms to rub their cheeks together. “If you are looking for him, he must still be at the training grounds. Sylvain’s probably there too.”

Rising from his chair, Byleth steps in to retrieve Annette. "Thank you," Perching the tiny puffball on his shoulder, he spins his heel and departs.

“Wait, Professor!”

Byleth stops, sparing a glance at the worried-looking chef. “We better get going. Thank you for the meal, Ashe.” He fixes his gaze on the female knight, nodding again. “And to you as well, Ingrid.”

And so, the duo leaves the kitchen behind, ready to bring their epic search to a fantastic close.

* * *

Byleth was quick on his feet, determined to get to the training grounds as if his life depended on it.

“We’re almost there,” He mutters through clenched teeth, securing the jouncing puffball on his shoulder. “Just a little bit longer, okay?”

Annette’s soft mewls ring soundly in his ear, keeping his heart at a steady rate.

Nearing his dorm, screams of terror could be heard nearby.

Byleth pauses in his steps, brows furrowed. After sniffing the air a few times, his face contorted in uncertainty.

“Is something...burning?”

There’s a sudden lightness on his shoulder as he was cemented on the spot. It finally clicks to Byleth that something was amiss and as he turns, he pins his gaze on the tiny puffball on her short, stubby hind-legs and scurrying to the large doors.

Byleth resumed his walking, attentively watching her race to the entrance and attempting to push it. He slides in, prodding his hands on the doors and pushes.

The door dramatically opens and from there, a chaotic scene plays.

“...What in the world?”

Everywhere he looked, the entire place was engulfed in flames, ear-splitting screeches belonging to a flashing blur of red and silver. In the background, Byleth could make out seasonal recruits coming in and out with large buckets of water, opting to douse the surrounding flames.

And yet, nothing could compare to the tiny devil spawn perched on the steps of the staircase.

Piercing golden eyes and sharp fangs, armed to the teeth with a multitude of swords and knives.

Byleth froze in place, casting doubt if he came at the wrong time. He was quick to scoop up Annette from the ground, holding her close and sidestepping away from the flames that may threaten to harm them.

“Mewh?”

“Stay close to me now,” Byleth ushers the small cat, venturing further.

Annette cuddles closer to his chest, her small body slightly quaking. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you now.” And he meant every word as his free hand naturally slides to the sheathed sword attached to his hip.

Angry growl rings in the air, ferocious and wild.

Byleth steels himself, freezing still. He could feel Annette bury herself deeper against his chest, triggering his parental instincts to kick in.

“Don’t fret. We are almost there.”

“M-mewh…”

On cue, a torrent of water magically rains down, taming the flames. Byleth stands idly at the center of the chaos, waiting for things to settle down.

“Professor!”

Byleth turns, spotting a tall redhead through the misty fog.

“Fancy seeing you here in this fine hour!” Sylvain jokes, swiping his hand through his drenched mane, with a few strands clinging onto his fair skin.

“What caused the fire to break?” Byleth questions aloud, still holding onto the quivering puffball. “Don’t tell me it was you.”

Sylvain laughs. “Actually…” He trails off and then points a thumb behind his shoulders.

Byleth follows, sighting the same black blob from earlier. From the looks of things, the feline seems to be in a hissing fit. Long, curled ears are thrown back, pupils very constricted and tail high and stiff. Despite its obvious small stature, the cat stares down at them with the deadliest glare, trying to look large and threatening with its back of its fur fully erect, crouching in a threatening manner.

“Mewh!”

Once more, Annette wiggles herself off from Byleth’s arms and charges in unexpectedly and directly at the angry feline.

Byleth’s eyes went round, his heart leaping to his chest.

“Annette, wait! Stop!” He cries, rushing into the scene with Sylvain not too far behind. “Be careful!”

“Professor! Hold up! Wait for meeee!”

Byleth was the first to take off, eyes glued onto the two furballs making conversation.

The young professor didn’t bat an eyelash as he watched the fluffy ball of sunshine do her signature ‘how dee-do to you’ greeting at the fuming gremlin.

“Mewh!”

“...”

"Hey, you think it's going well?" Sylvain mumbles, nudging Byleth on the elbow.

Byleth opens his mouth to retort but then stops, noticing the subtle changes in a certain, angry puff. How He crosses his arms, clearly amused by the way how Felix would look at her, eyes rapidly blinking at first, his scowling face dissipating into one of interest and wonder. Front claws disappear, hunched back lowers and settles, his rigid stance becoming relaxed, his tail going numb.

Byleth stood there and simply watched their engagement, with Annette meowing away and Felix giving her his undivided attention.

A small smile creeps into his lips. Unsurprisingly, Annette would be the one to subdue Felix; a slow rendition of a beast to a puppy obliviously fawning over her.

He can’t put a finger in it, but there’s something sweet about it, the sugary goodness tickling his stomach.

“Psst! Say, Professor?”

Byleth tears his gaze away to reconnect with Sylvain’s brown eyes, his usual blank face noticeably irritated.

Sylvain slips a wolfish grin. “They look awfully good together, don’t you think?”

Byleth looks back and a ghost of a smile resurfaces. His gaze lingers on them, trailing to Annette's orange coat and then a lightbulb clicks.

He steps in, intruding the little lovebirds’ moment.

“Pardon me,” He speaks up, signaling their attention.

Felix was quick to dash in, putting himself in the front and shield Annette.

Fangs reappear and there goes the loud, sharp hissing. “Hshhhhhhh!”

Byleth goes on his knees, pausing to glance at Annette. The large doe-eyed furball casts him a look of concern and pouty lips.

“I’ll be fine,” He mouths to her quietly, then fishes out the blue cloth from his pocket.

Annette nods, though still visibly worrisome.

Byleth averts his gaze on the black feline, his expression unchanging. “Here.” And hands him the blue cloth. “I believe this belongs to you.”

Once Felix’s eyes fall on the lost item, his eyes widen. “...Mrow?”

"Oh, hey! You've found his long lost coat!" Sylvain chimes, sweeping in to join the group. "We've been looking all over for that! Where'd you find it anyway?"

“Near the pavilion,” Byleth explains, not batting an eye when Felix snatches the cloth roughly away from his hands. He gives them a side-glance, smiling as he spots Felix toddle over to Annette and offers it to her.

Annette accepts it, hopping around to clip the coat on his back.

“Annette was the one who found it,”

On cue, the two men check up on the cats engaging in another exchange.

Sylvain’s grin grew mischievous. “Did she now?” He blows a whistle, catching Felix and Annette’s attention. “Hear that, Fe? Sweet little Annette here went out of her way to find your missing coat!”

Felix scoffs, looking away.

“Mewh?”

Annette nudges him with her paw and Felix visibly stiffens. He buries his head into his front hind-legs, though doesn’t take account of the pink coloring his features. “...Mrow,”

Annette scoots closer, purring and snuggling up with the gremlin.

Felix doesn’t brush her away but instead, leans closer, perching his chin on top of her head.

More purring ensues with Annette mewling and very much relishing his company. Her round and floppy ears flicker, her breathing in sync with his own.

**_“Mewh, mewh, mewh~ Mewh mewhh…”_ **

Annette mewls a string of meows like a broken melody, and it serenades Felix, who closes his eyes, relaxes and begins to bob his head to the catchy beat.

Sylvain snickers, folding his arms behind his head. “Well, I’ll be.”

Cracking one eye open, Felix frowns deeply, features scrunching up to give them a threatening glare.

Sylvain laughs dryly, shaking his head and then sighs. “We better get going, Professor,” He starts, nudging him on the shoulder for the umpteenth time. “Don’t wanna intrude on these two lovebirds,”

Byleth nods in understanding, his face somewhat at peace. He spares Felix a pardoned look. “I’ll leave you in her hands, Felix.”

Felix scowls, only for it to perish when Annette’s tongue licks his cheek. The tension in his shoulders loosen and he melts to her touch, licking her cheek to reciprocate.

Annette chirps, mewling and snuggling away.

Corners of Byleth’s mouth quirk up into a slight smile, recalling back to a time when he was first introduced to the House of the Blue Lions, to a lovable, bouncy firecracker and the callous, crabby puffball.

He remembers them all; how he one day stumbled into the greenhouse and found the little ones having a cutesy moment, to them cozying up under the table in the library, Felix stealing a few tarts (and wrapping them up in a napkin) to give to little miss sunshine and vice versa.

Everything accumulating up to this very moment was not ordained by destiny nor the hands of fate. Still, there’s always the idea that somehow, such tiny little things really do matter.

Hence why, when Annette reconvened , everything clicked. Everything made sense. Hell, the sun became extraordinarily brighter than it was a few minutes before.

“Ready to go, Professor?”

Byleth reverts his gaze at the redhead who flashes him a boyish grin. He checks the pair one last time and nods, spinning his heel and walking away.

“You think they’ll notice we’re gone?”

Byleth strolls ahead, a hint of a smile resurfacing on his lips. “Let them have their moment, Sylvain.”

* * *

The large doors close behind them and Byleth marches forward.

“So, where to?”

Byleth side-glances at the redhead catching up to him. “Hmm?”

“Where are you headed now, Professor?”

Byleth mulls the thought and then shrugs. "Who knows?" He murmurs and looks up at the clouds. "Anywhere really."

Sylvain nods, hands perched under his chin, and frowns. "Wanna go grab lunch?"

The image of Ashe’s delicious spicy stew comes to mind and Byleth drools.

With the nod of his head, the men went off, back to the Dining Hall where their friends awaited their presence.

People grow, people change, and over time, they evolve...and then fall in love when you at least expect it.

Things are changing, little by little.

But underneath it all, it was still the same as ever.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> In all honesty, it was super fun but also difficult to write this. Almost every sentence in this narrative made me squeal and shake with joy, and it didn't really help that I was listening to cutesy love songs while writing this!
> 
> With THIS happening to be one of them in general:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5H1LorrEAs
> 
> If you can, please take a moment to check out MontyArtz's artwork (link down below:)  
> https://twitter.com/MonyArtz
> 
> As always, stay safe everyone, and have a lovely day!


End file.
